In a wireless network, e.g., an ad hoc peer to peer wireless network, it can be beneficial for a wireless communications device, e.g., a mobile node, to support the ability to transmit, e.g., broadcast, various types of discovery information, e.g., device discovery information, network discovery information and/or service discovery information. The broadcasting of such information can be used by other peer devices currently in its local vicinity to form a situational awareness. This exchange of wireless device broadcast discovery information among peers can be particularly useful in a network lacking centralized coordination and/or control. Different wireless communications devices may have different capabilities and/or needs with regard to the transmission and/or reception of discovery information. In addition, an individual wireless communications device may, at different times, have different capabilities and/or needs with regard to the transmission and/or reception of discovery information. Broadcasting and/or receiving discovery information may be considered overhead signaling, and resources such as power and spectrum over time expended for discovery information signaling may be unavailable for traffic signaling. The power expended by a mobile wireless communications device for transmitting and/or receiving discovery information and the reserve battery power remaining are important considerations in implementing a structure supporting the communication of discovery information.
At times a wireless communications device may be isolated with respect to other devices of interest; while at other times a wireless device may be in the local proximity of other devices of interest. It is wasteful to be expending power on discovery operations if the wireless device is isolated. Based on the above discussion there is a need for methods and apparatus that support the communication of a wide range of different types of discovery information in an efficient manner. Methods and apparatus that allow for flexibility in the transmission and/or reception of discovery information would be beneficial. There is a need for methods and apparatus that take into consideration proximity information when making decisions about expending resources for discovery operations.